Space Station, Moon and Planets Dance Over Pisa

ISS, Mars, Mercury, Venus and Moon Petricca
Astrophotographer Giuseppe Petricca took this image from Pisa, Tuscany, Italy. (Image credit: Giuseppe Petricca)

The International Space Station streaks over Italy's famed Leaning Tower of Pisa while the moon and three planets shine bright overhead in this stunning image from a night sky photographer., the Moon, Venus, Mars, Mercury and the Leaning Tower of Pisa are all showcased in this stunning image.

Astrophotographer Giuseppe Petricca took this image from Pisa, Tuscany. In addition to the moon and International Space Station (ISS), the crescent moon, Venus, Mars and Mercury are all visible in the night sky.  

"The sight this evening was simply amazing! The ISS showed right up on time to have a wide display with the crescent moon, the bright Venus, the fainter Mars and Mercury," Petricca wrote in an email to Space.com on May 8. [See more amazing May night sky photos by stargazers]

The crescent moon can be seen on the left of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Venus shines brightly while Mars and Mercury are fainter to the eye. He used a Canon EOS 700D on tripod, with 18-55mm and IS STM Lens.

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To see more amazing night sky photos submitted by Space.com readers, visit our astrophotography archive.

Editor's note: If you have an amazing night sky photo you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, send images and comments in to Space.com at spacephotos@space.com.

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Contributing Writer and Producer

Nina Sen is a freelance writer and producer who covered night sky photography and astronomy for Space.com. She began writing and producing content for Space.com in 2011 with a focus on story and image production, as well as amazing space photos captured by NASA telescopes and other missions. Her work also includes coverage of amazing images by astrophotographers that showcase the night sky's beauty.